Semiconductor devices produce thermal energy when operating. Because the thermal energy may not be uniform, a thermal gradient may exist. As systems become smaller and semiconductor devices are more closely packed, which may result in mechanical coupling between devices. This tight mechanical coupling may result in unexpected induced thermal gradients between one and another of the semiconductor devices.
These unexpected thermal gradients may result in operating errors. For example, in a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), unexpected thermal gradients may result in inappropriate refresh frequencies and even data loss.